How to Keep Weight Off After Using Ozempic & Semaglutide

Executive summary

• Semaglutide is a medication originally developed for individuals with type 2 diabetes that also provides weight loss potential by suppressing appetite.
• Ozempic and Wegovy are two popular weight-loss medications containing semaglutide.
• Many people who experience weight loss taking semaglutide struggle to maintain that weight loss when they stop using it.
• You can keep weight off after semaglutide by maintaining a balanced diet, exercising, getting sleep, managing stress, and finding the right support.

Ozempic and semaglutide have become extremely popular weight loss solutions. However, they come with a pretty significant catch. People who have turned to semaglutide medications for weight loss find themselves unable to sustain their weight loss long-term, specifically after they stop taking the medications.

To figure out how to keep weight off after Ozempic and semaglutide, it’s crucial to understand what steps to take in addition to these medications and what resources are available to you in the process. Fortunately, we at re:vitalize weight loss & wellness can help you achieve your weight loss goals with a plan that works for you and your lifestyle.

What Is Semaglutide?

Semaglutide is a medication originally developed for diabetes, designed to lower blood sugar by improving insulin sensitivity. Semaglutide, and similar medications, is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist.

That fancy term means that these medications imitate the GLP-1 hormone, which regulates the body’s blood sugar levels, promotes insulin secretion, and reduces glucagon, a hormone that raises blood sugar.

However, semaglutide also suppresses appetite by slowing the emptying of your stomach. Because of this, the drug has become incredibly popular as a weight loss and obesity drug since encouraging you to eat less can help you lose weight.

Ozempic and Wegovy are two types of semaglutide. Ozempic was initially developed as a drug for type 2 diabetes but is now popular for addressing obesity. Wegovy has the same function as Ozempic but is branded differently and used specifically for weight loss.

The Challenge of Maintaining Weight Post Ozempic and Semaglutide

Although semaglutide medications can promote weight loss, they are not a standalone solution. The challenge is that many people find themselves gaining weight after they stop taking them, sometimes called the Ozempic Rebound. In fact, in one study, participants regained up to two-thirds of their weight just after a year of stopping semaglutide.

Factors that contribute to weight gain following the use of Ozempic and semaglutide include:

• Metabolic changes – Medications may work in the short term, but they do not address your metabolic health, which is a key player in helping you keep weight off.
• Lifestyle factors – No matter how well a medication works, it must be accompanied by lifestyle changes to sustain the weight loss. If you maintain a diet that includes overeating processed or sugary foods and don’t engage in physical activity, you’re likely to regain weight.
• Psychological aspects – These medications don’t consider the psychological aspects behind weight loss and how to address them. These underlying psychological causes can lead to regaining weight if not addressed.

Without taking steps to address all the above factors, it is likely you’ll regain the weight you lost from taking the medications.

 

 

How To Maintain Weight After Ozempic and Semaglutide

Ozempic and semaglutide are not sure solutions, especially if you do not have certain habits built around them. No matter how much success you experience while taking semaglutide drugs, that success will be fleeting if you do not have the proper routines and habits in place long-term. You can make lasting success more possible by following a few steps.

1. Build a Solid Foundation

Avoiding the semaglutide weight rebound requires a little commitment, but it’s not overwhelming. Building a foundation for sustained weight loss requires three key facets.

Continued Healthy Eating

Food is fuel. Getting a range of nutrients is essential for sustaining a healthy balance in your body so it can function properly. On top of weight loss maintenance, a balanced diet offers several benefits, including increased energy levels, a more positive mood, and overall wellness.

You can maintain a healthy diet by:

• Following a balanced diet of lean proteins, healthy fats, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods.
• Avoiding saturated fats, processed foods, and sugary foods as much as possible.
• Practicing portion control, eating until you’re full, and not overeating
• Choosing healthy foods and recipes that you enjoy so that you are motivated to eat them  
• Drinking plenty of water

A Consistent Exercise Routine

Exercising regularly keeps your muscles strong, promotes a healthy metabolism, and helps you keep weight off—it’s great for your mental health, too. The CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week.

This routine can look however you want it to, depending on your preferred form of activity.

Some great examples of exercise include:

• Walking
• Hiking
• Jogging
• Bike riding
• Weightlifting
• Strength training
• Yoga and Pilates
• Playing sports

The most important thing when it comes to building an exercise routine is that it is sustainable, so make sure to choose activities that you enjoy doing. Finding enjoyment in your exercise will keep you motivated to continue.

Stress Management and Sleep Health

When we think of weight loss, we often think of eating and exercise, but other habits that promote the mental health are essential as well. Two of the most underrated factors in weight loss are stress management and sleep.

• Practice stress management by performing mindfulness practices daily, like meditation, yoga, or other relaxation exercise. Even spending time outside, listening to calming music, or doing a favorite hobby can be great for reducing stress.
• Improve your sleep habits by maintaining a consistent sleep routine, getting between 7 and 9 hours each night. Create a comfortable sleep environment by keeping the room cool and dark and avoiding screens within an hour before bed.

2. Track Your Progress

The best way to take charge of your weight loss journey is to follow along with your progress and see your successes and areas of improvement firsthand. Tracking your progress effectively starts with setting realistic and achievable goals.

The SMART framework is one of the best models for goal-setting. The acronym stands for:

• Specific – Set clear goals that are specific, clear, and narrow.
• Measurable – When setting your goal, make sure you can measure progress towards it, whether using weight, biometrics, or another measurable metric.
• Attainable – Make sure that the goal you set is realistic and one that you can achieve in a reasonable amount of time.
• Relevant – Your goal should fit within your overarching values and long-term goals.
• Time-bound – Give yourself a set amount of time to reach your goal. Establishing timeframes gives you checkpoints to assess your progress and reevaluate your plan if necessary.

One example of a SMART goal is “Lose 15 pounds within a month by eating whole foods and avoiding processed, sugary foods.”

This goal is specific, with a clear benchmark, method, and timeframe, and it is completely attainable with the right approach. The goal is also relevant to a greater goal, as you can choose to expand on it with further weight loss and health goals after you succeed.

Be sure to measure your progress toward your goals consistently so you can see if your plan is working or if you need to make any adjustments. A holistic program like re:vitalize can help you monitor progress using your unique biometric data and help you adjust the plan if you don’t feel like things are going how they should. Our programs involve daily, weekly, and monthly check-ins to monitor your progress and ensure your program is working. 

3. Follow Personalized Nutritional Guidance

Eating healthy is something everyone should do, but everyone has their own unique nutritional needs, preferences, and eating habits. Therefore, it’s essential to create a nutrition plan that works for you.

Create a Sustainable Meal Plan

A meal plan is an important tool for helping you achieve weight loss success. Many people understand this, but they often think that this means sticking to a rigid, unpleasant, and boring diet. The truth is that in order to help you maintain weight loss, a meal plan must work within your preferences and specific nutritional needs.

At re:vitalize, we can equip you with the tools to create a sustainable nutrition plan. Using our BioScan™ technology, we will measure your unique biomarkers to identify nutritional needs. From there, we equip you with a personalized list of foods and nutrients optimal for your weight loss and metabolic health.

Then, you can use your BioScan™ results to build a nutrition plan that fits within your unique preferences and dietary restrictions. We provide you with over 80+ delicious recipes and the resources on our member portal to develop a plan that you can maintain long-term.

The Role of Dietary Supplements

Supplements can be hit or miss, but when you choose the right ones, they can be a valuable addition to your routine for supporting your healthy diet and promoting weight loss. At re:vitalize weight loss and wellness, we have a range of supplements you can choose from to support you in your weight loss journey.

Our supplements feature all-natural ingredients and are clinically tested for both efficacy and purity, ensuring that they offer you considerable value.

 

4. Manage Setbacks

Setbacks are part of the weight loss journey, no matter who you are. However, how you choose to respond to these setbacks can make all the difference in your success. For this reason, mindset work is an important part of a weight loss plan. 

Whether it’s a little weight gain one week or trouble sticking to your nutrition plan, it’s crucial that you don’t give up. Consider any challenge as a simple speedbump, and don’t let it derail you from making forward progress. Recognizing that setbacks are part of the process allows you to adapt and avoid getting discouraged.

Our empathetic team at re:vitalize weight loss and wellness will help you set a plan that works within your lifestyle while also helping you adopt a growth mindset and form healthy habits. With daily, weekly, and monthly check-ins, we help you stay accountable so that you don’t fall off track, even if you do face minor setbacks.

5. Create a Plan for Long-term Maintenance

Weight loss and maintenance largely come down to your metabolic health and developing a plan that works for your body. There are two key factors to consider for maintaining your weight loss long-term:

• Maintain a Calorie Balance – At a basic level, weight loss and weight gain boil down to the amount of calories you eat through food and the amount that you use by physical activity, which is known as your metabolic rate. To maintain a consistent weight, you want to burn the same number of calories that you eat during the day.
• Adapt to Metabolic Changes — The metabolism can shift over time due to aging, stressful life events, or external factors like medications. If you notice that your body is responding to your weight loss routine differently from how it used to, you may need to adjust to a change in your metabolism and adapt your diet or exercise routine.

At re:vitalize, our programs promote metabolic health and address the root causes of weight gain, equipping you with the tools needed to enjoy lasting success, without the need to obsessively track or restrict calories. We use our BioScan™ technology to provide you with a list of nutrients and foods that are optimal for your body for weight loss and metabolic health.

With this food list, over 80+ delicious recipes, and the support you receive from our team, you’ll be empowered to carry out this success long-term.

re:vitalize weight loss and wellness is Here to Help

Semaglutide medications, like Ozempic, can be a tool to support you in a weight loss journey, but they’re not the full solution. To maintain weight loss, you need to develop healthy habits and routines that last.

re:vitalize programs are individualized and tailored to each member’s unique needs for long-term success, all without any medication. Between our available member resources and our expert team of board-certified nutritionists and weight loss coaches, our programs empower members to not only lose weight but also build a solid foundation to sustain weight loss past the program. We strive to make achieving your wellness goals as attainable as possible for any lifestyle, which is why we also offer employer weight loss programs and virtual weight loss programs.

Schedule a virtual or in-person consultation today to see all you can gain from our programs.